Jordan Tarver

About

Self-help author, motivational speaker, and social media personality known for being the author of the bestselling book You Deserve This Sh!t along with his content focusing on personal growth advice, book recommendations, life abroad videos, and updates from his development as a singer-songwriter which he shares on TikTok with over 190,000 followers and on Instagram with over 140,000 followers.

Before fame

He survived a near-fatal freeway accident in March 2013 and eventually earned a business finance degree from California State University, Fullerton. He spent three months backpacking alone through Europe after graduating college in 2016 and kept a journal which inspired his writing career. He then worked in the mortgage industry and joined Forbes Advisor as an editor in 2020.

Trivia

He published You Deserve This Sh!t in 2021 with its popularity accelerating after he began promoting it through TikTok Shop in 2024. He expanded his 2022 digital project Pursuit of Purpose into a printed book and workbook in 2025. He and his wife appeared on the Granada, Spain episode of HGTV's World's Bargain Dream Homes in April 2026.

Family life

He grew up as the youngest of four children with two older brothers and an older sister. He married his longtime partner Nicolle in September 2023, and they moved to Spain in 2025.

Associated with

He has cited Russ Vitale as being a creative inspiration and has recommended his book It's All in Your Head.